Mission Superhéros

by Nadia Fezzani

Costumés à la manière des héros de bandes dessinées, ils parcourent les rues, risquant leur vie pour secourir les victimes d'actes violents et enrayer les injustices. Bienvenue dans l'univers des «vrais» super­héros ! Nadia Fezzani a suivi et interviewé plusieurs de ces hommes et de ces femmes qui pratiquent l'altruisme dans sa forme la plus extrême. En patrouille à leurs côtés dans certains des quartiers les plus dangereux d'Amérique du Nord, elle a percé le mystère qui les entoure. D'où viennent-ils ? Quelle est leur histoire ? Comment ont-ils créé leur «personnage» ? Pourquoi agissent-ils ainsi ? Un voyage au cœur d'une communauté tissée de contradictions, un monde parallèle où vous croiserez des héros, des vilains, et tout ce qui existe entre les deux.

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Although dressed like the heroes of comic strips and popular movies, real superheroes turn out to be ordinary citizens ... or almost. Determined to contribute to the fight against crime, they risk their lives to defend people who need help the most and those who are victims of violent acts or injustice. Some choose to fully reveal their identity, while others prefer to remain anonymous.

Guided by her journalist's instincts and love of risk, the author followed and interviewed several of these men and women, who are prepared to put themselves in harm's way to ensure their fellow human beings are protected. Through a series of interviews and patrols with these superheroes, she has tried to figure out what's behind their activities. What motivates these larger-than-life characters? Where do they come from and what are their backgrounds? How does one become a real superhero?

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Nadia Fezzani is a Canadian journalist/author who has conducted extensive research and interviews with many notorious American serial killers. She is known in Europe as having interviewed American serial killer Richard Cottingham for a French documentary that first aired on TF1, Enquêtes et révélations. The first person to interview Cottingham in 30 years, Fezzani got him to admit his culpability for the first time, as well as many more murders. She is also part of November 84, a documentary on children's disappearance.

She wrote a Best-Seller in French, Mes Tueurs en série. Through interviews with Serial Killers and professionals (profilers, criminologists, neurologists, etc.), we discover how someone becomes a Serial Killer, what triggers them and what could have been done to prevent such behavior. The title of the English edition is Through the Eyes of Serial Killers: Interviews with Seven Murderers.

More recently, she published a book on Real Life Super Heroes, Mission Superhéros, where we accompany her during her patrols with those individuals who dress up at night and fight crime. She brings us into their universe and provides insights into their psyche through interviews.

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Fezzani first covered interviews with famous athletes for five years and was in charge of the media relations for the Montreal Matrix and the Buffalo Sharks basketball teams. She also conducted interviews with music stars, such as Dave Navarro and Nickelback. She has published in magazines and newspapers including Journal de Montréal, Montreal Metro, 24 Heures, Dernière Heure, UMM, Bobbi, Les Canadiens, Summum, Summum Girl, Hometown Hockey, Samedi, etc.

Ms. Fezzani gives conferences on the Serial Killers topic, as well as bullying, to students and to different organizations (colleges, professional associations, police, etc.). She also works with production companies on TV documentaries.